Niti Aayog, sources indicated, in fact wants to move very cautiously on the subject of education regulators to work out a model that will find the fine balance.Anubhuti Vishnoi | ET Bureau | September 06, 2016, 14:35 IST

Medical studies addressed, Niti Aayog begins work on regulator for educationNEW DELHI: Having just made radical recommendations to shake up medical education and bring in a new regulator to replace the Medical Council of India, the Niti Aayog is now carefully looking at ways of reworking the regulatory structure for the education sector.

It is learnt that the Niti Aayog has already started to explore the idea of reforming and possibly restructuring the regulatory structure for higher education and has initiated the first discussions on the move.

Highly placed sources told ET that while Niti Aayog is already working on a single uniform template for all regulators across sectors, it is felt that this may not necessarily address the specific issues related to education regulators and they would require a different format to work around.

This is being kept in mind for the proposed recast of education regulators.

The Niti Aayog, sources indicated, in fact wants to move very cautiously on the subject of education regulators to work out a model that will find the fine balance between autonomy, transparency and accountability.

The proposed recast of regulatory structures will closely look at ways to ensure greater transparency and quality control through better benchmarking of educational institutes and streamlined parameters.

The Prime Minister's Office had also raised this issue and is said to be keen on streamlining regulatory structure in the education sector. The PMO has asked the HRD ministry to finalise recommendations to improve the regulatory framework at UGC and AICTE and had also asked the Niti Aayog to look into this.

There has been a concern for a long time now about the multiplicity of regulators in the area of higher education from the University Grants Commission to All India Council for Technical Education, Bar Council of India, Council of Architecture.

A number of committees and reports have recommended repeatedly that a single regulator in higher education would be able to ensure better benchmarking and quality control

Only in India the healthcare financing is very small when compared to the financing by the other forces rather than the patient himself or herself paying out of pocket. Having 70-75% of the expenses as out-of-pocket, in my opinion, is not a right approach to managing healthcare in a country where the patients tend to sub-optimally purchase healthcare if he/she has to pay out-of-pocket.